Tovia Smithhttp://wgcu.org
enAccused Bomber's Lawyers Say Boston Jury Pool Is Too Biasedhttp://wgcu.org/post/accused-bombers-lawyers-say-boston-jury-pool-too-biased
The search for jurors in the case of accused Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is taking longer than expected.<p>Defense attorneys say it's nearly impossible to find open-minded, unbiased jurors around Boston. They're asking yet again for the judge to move the trial somewhere else.<p>From the beginning, defense attorneys have argued the entire jury pool has been poisoned by what they call "a narrative of guilt" from a "tidal wave" of media coverage.Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:41:00 +0000Tovia Smith18248 at http://wgcu.orgAccused Bomber's Lawyers Say Boston Jury Pool Is Too BiasedPotential Jurors Screened For Boston Marathon Bombing Trialhttp://wgcu.org/post/potential-jurors-screened-boston-marathon-bombing-trial
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Potential+Jurors+Screened+For+Boston+Marathon+Bombing+Trial&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAyNDY5MjM1MDEyODE2MzMyMTZmZDQwMg001)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: <p>Potential jurors are being screened in Boston to decide the fate of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The bombings in 2013 marked the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since 9/11.Mon, 05 Jan 2015 22:08:00 +0000Tovia Smith17538 at http://wgcu.orgJury Selection To Begin Monday In Boston Marathon Bombing Trialhttp://wgcu.org/post/jury-selection-begin-monday-boston-marathon-bombing-trial
The search begins Monday for the jurors who will decide the fate of the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. It was the deadliest act of terrorism in the U.S. since the Sept. 11 attacks, and the trial is one that many have been waiting for.<p>A couple of dozen survivors are expected in court for at least part of the trial — including Heather Abbott, who lost a leg in the attack. She's hoping for answers to both why and how the bombing was carried out.<p>"Things like how did the bomb arrive? Was it on the T? Did they drive it in a car?Mon, 05 Jan 2015 08:35:00 +0000Tovia Smith17510 at http://wgcu.orgSkating Out Classroom Stress As A 'Derby Dame'http://wgcu.org/post/skating-out-classroom-stress-derby-dame
<em><em>The NPR Ed team is discovering what teachers do when they're not teaching. Pilot? Artist? Bartender? Explore our </em></em><a href="http://www.npr.org/series/359617600/the-secret-lives-of-teachers">Secret Lives of Teachers</a><em><em> series.</em></em><p>Every fall, on the first day of school, Nina Park greets her new honors English class with a game called "two truths and a lie." Her students, 10th-graders at TechBoston Academy in Dorchester, Mass.Tue, 16 Dec 2014 20:46:00 +0000Tovia Smith16987 at http://wgcu.orgSkating Out Classroom Stress As A 'Derby Dame'Colleges Straddle Line Between Assault Prevention And Victim-Blaminghttp://wgcu.org/post/colleges-straddle-line-between-assault-prevention-and-victim-blaming
As efforts increase around the nation to combat campus sexual assault, one aspect of prevention seems to confound schools the most: how to warn students about staying safe — without sounding like they're blaming the victim.<p>The <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/09/24/its-us-growing-movement-end-campus-sexual-assault" target="_blank">latest public awareness campaign</a> from the White House focuses on bystanders. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQbymKIyJns">A slick new PSA</a> urges students to step in when they see someone who might be in trouble.Fri, 21 Nov 2014 09:17:00 +0000Tovia Smith16210 at http://wgcu.orgColleges Straddle Line Between Assault Prevention And Victim-BlamingTo Tackle Sexual Assault Cases, Colleges Enlist Investigators-For-Hirehttp://wgcu.org/post/tackle-sexual-assault-cases-colleges-enlist-investigators-hire
As colleges continue to scramble under federal pressure to overhaul how they handle cases of sexual assault, the list of schools under investigation for botching cases continues to grow.<p>That's left some wondering if campuses will ever get it right, or if they might be better off leaving the job to others.<p>A growing number of campuses already have made the choice to do just that: Rather than try to train their provosts and professors to act like prosecutors, they're outsourcing the job to real ones instead.<p>Djuna Perkins is a former prosecutor who is now an investigator-for-hire focusingWed, 29 Oct 2014 22:02:00 +0000Tovia Smith15535 at http://wgcu.orgTo Tackle Sexual Assault Cases, Colleges Enlist Investigators-For-HireHarvard Law Professors Say New Sexual Assault Policy Is One-Sidedhttp://wgcu.org/post/harvard-law-professors-say-new-sexual-assault-policy-one-sided
Just a few months after Harvard University announced a new, tougher policy against campus sexual assault, a group of Harvard law professors is blasting the rules as unfair.<p>Harvard announced its new policy this summer, after the school came under federal investigation for being too soft on sexual assault.Wed, 15 Oct 2014 22:54:00 +0000Tovia Smith15136 at http://wgcu.orgHarvard Law Professors Say New Sexual Assault Policy Is One-SidedSome Accused Of Sexual Assault On Campus Say System Works Against Themhttp://wgcu.org/post/some-accused-campus-assault-say-system-works-against-them
After years of criticism for being too lax on campus sexual assault, some colleges and universities are coming under fire from students who say the current crackdown on perpetrators has gone too far.<p>Dozens of students who've been punished for sexual assault are suing their schools, saying that they didn't get a fair hearing and that their rights to due process were violated.Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:31:00 +0000Tovia Smith13973 at http://wgcu.orgSome Accused Of Sexual Assault On Campus Say System Works Against ThemHow Campus Sexual Assaults Came To Command New Attentionhttp://wgcu.org/post/how-campus-sexual-assaults-came-command-new-attention
Call it a sign of the times that right along with required writing core courses, incoming freshmen at most schools this fall will also face a mandatory crash course on the subject of sexual assault.<p>At a Rutgers University orientation, for example, every freshman sits through a dramatization of the campus party scene that is as real as it is raw. In the performance, a character, Jess, winds up in fellow student Ryan's room, resisting his advances. Ryan persists and gets increasingly angry and aggressive.Tue, 12 Aug 2014 22:02:00 +0000Tovia Smith13337 at http://wgcu.orgHow Campus Sexual Assaults Came To Command New AttentionNew Bill Aims To Hold Colleges Accountable For Campus Sex Crimeshttp://wgcu.org/post/new-bill-aims-hold-colleges-accountable-campus-sex-crimes
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=New+Bill+Aims+To+Hold+Colleges+Accountable+For+Campus+Sex+Crimes&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAyMDgzMzYwMDEyOTc4NzE4NzJkZTAzYw004)"/></div><p>Thu, 31 Jul 2014 09:33:00 +0000Tovia Smith12937 at http://wgcu.orgBoston Bombing Suspect's Friend Is Convicted On Obstruction Chargeshttp://wgcu.org/post/boston-bombing-suspects-friend-convicted-obstruction-charges
Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>In Boston today, a friend of the Marathon Bombing suspect was found guilty. He was charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The man is 20 years-old, a college friend of Jahar Tsarnaev. The friend was accused of helping to remove incriminating evidence from his dorm room following the bombings.Mon, 21 Jul 2014 20:28:00 +0000Tovia Smith12582 at http://wgcu.orgAfter Abortion Ruling, Mass. Pushes To Replace Buffer Zone Lawhttp://wgcu.org/post/after-abortion-ruling-massachusetts-pushes-retooled-buffer-zone
Just three weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Massachusetts law that created a 35-foot buffer zone around clinics that perform abortions, lawmakers there are rushing through a replacement. The new bill, which they hope to pass before the legislative session ends in two weeks, would give police more power to disperse unruly protesters.<p>The bill has broad support, but opponents say it still goes too far.<p>Abortion rights groups started scrambling to come up with a new plan immediately after the Supreme Court decision.Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:40:00 +0000Tovia Smith12515 at http://wgcu.orgAfter Abortion Ruling, Mass. Pushes To Replace Buffer Zone LawFor Most Kids, Nice Finishes Lasthttp://wgcu.org/post/most-kids-nice-finishes-last
A new study holds up a mirror to America's parents. A <a href="http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic1430903.files//Executive%20Summary.pdf">researcher at Harvard</a> surveyed 10,000 middle and high school students in 33 different schools around the nation about what they thought their folks cared about most: that they achieve at a high level, that they are happy (defined as "feeling good most of the time"), or that they care for others. Almost 80 percent of youth picked high achievement or happiness as their top choice, while about 20 percent selected caring for others.Mon, 14 Jul 2014 20:15:00 +0000Tovia Smith12358 at http://wgcu.orgFor Most Kids, Nice Finishes LastHigh Court Ruling Sends Abortion Clinics Scrambling To Adjusthttp://wgcu.org/post/high-court-ruling-sends-abortion-clinics-scrambling-adjust
Transcript <p>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: <p>Let's go now to Massachusetts where staffs at abortion clinics are scrambling to adjust their plans after that ruling. From Boston, NPR's Tovia Smith reports.<p>TOVIA SMITH, BYLINE: The rules of the game have changed, as one abortion-rights activist put it, and protesters agree on that point.Thu, 26 Jun 2014 20:42:00 +0000Tovia Smith11782 at http://wgcu.orgAfter Losing A Leg, Woman Walks On Her Own — In 4-Inch Heelshttp://wgcu.org/post/after-losing-leg-woman-walks-her-own-4-inch-heels
Returning to watch the Boston Marathon was never a question for Heather Abbott. After losing her leg in the bombing last year, watching the race is just one item on a long list of things she did before and intends to do again. Also on that list: wearing 4-inch heels.<p>"Sometimes, I think: Why am I doing this to myself? Because I could just wear regular flat shoes," Abbott says.Wed, 16 Apr 2014 07:37:00 +0000Tovia Smith9355 at http://wgcu.orgAfter Losing A Leg, Woman Walks On Her Own — In 4-Inch HeelsA Year After Bombings, Some Say 'Boston Strong' Has Gone Overboardhttp://wgcu.org/post/year-after-bombings-some-say-boston-strong-has-gone-overboard
The phrase Boston Strong emerged almost immediately after last year's marathon bombings as an unofficial motto of a city responding to tragedy. But now some are wondering whether the slogan is being overused.<p>The words are everywhere: Boston Strong is plastered on cars, cut into the grass at Fenway, tattooed on arms, bedazzled on sweatshirts and printed on T-shirts (and everything else).<p>"We have Boston Strong bracelets, we have car magnets, little money pouches, we have mints," says Catherine Thomas, manager of a souvenir shop in Quincy Market.Thu, 10 Apr 2014 20:08:00 +0000Tovia Smith9189 at http://wgcu.orgA Year After Bombings, Some Say 'Boston Strong' Has Gone OverboardDoes Teaching Kids To Get 'Gritty' Help Them Get Ahead?http://wgcu.org/post/does-teaching-kids-get-gritty-help-them-get-ahead
It's become the new buzz phrase in education: "Got grit?"<p>Around the nation, schools are beginning to see grit as key to students' success — and just as important to teach as reading and math.<p>Experts define grit as persistence, determination and resilience; it's that <em>je ne sais quoi</em> that drives one kid to practice trumpet or study Spanish for hours — or years — on end, while another quits after the first setback.<p>"This quality of being able to sustain your passions, and also work really hard at them, over really disappointingly long periods of time, that's grit," says Angela DuMon, 17 Mar 2014 09:07:00 +0000Tovia Smith8334 at http://wgcu.orgDoes Teaching Kids To Get 'Gritty' Help Them Get Ahead?In Boston, Gay Groups Remain Closed Out Of St. Patrick's Day Paradehttp://wgcu.org/post/boston-gay-groups-remain-closed-out-st-patricks-day-parade
Transcript <p>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: <p>Boston Mayor Marty Walsh says he's still hopeful for a deal allowing a gay group to march in South Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Organizers say talks to include gay groups for the first time in two decades have fallen apart. Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants, is still trying to bring the sides together.<p>NPR's Tovia Smith reports.<p>TOVIA SMITH, BYLINE: Gay rights activists called it historic that they were even talking to parade organizers. But now, chances for a deal are slipping.<p>PHIL WUSCHKE: The parade is actually closed. It's a done deal.Tue, 04 Mar 2014 21:05:00 +0000Tovia Smith7921 at http://wgcu.orgThe U.S. Will Seek The Death Penalty for Boston Bombing Suspecthttp://wgcu.org/post/us-will-seek-death-penalty-boston-bombing-suspect
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Thursday that federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.Thu, 30 Jan 2014 22:09:00 +0000Tovia Smith6881 at http://wgcu.orgIn The Long Wait For Aid From Washington, Job Hunters Despairhttp://wgcu.org/post/long-wait-aid-washington-job-hunters-despair
Transcript <p>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: <p>Lawmakers are promising new efforts to restore jobless benefits for long-term unemployed, but it may take a while - 1.4 million people who've been out of work long term saw their benefits disappear three weeks ago. Congress failed to agree on funding to renew them. NPR's Tovia Smith visited with a few people who are without work in Boston.<p>TOVIA SMITH, BYLINE: John Pratt(ph) has worked in the financial sector nearly 30 years. Starting at the bottom with no college education, he worked his way up to a well-paying operations job.Fri, 17 Jan 2014 22:46:00 +0000Tovia Smith6458 at http://wgcu.orgA Story Of The Boston Marathon Bombing, As Told On Skateshttp://wgcu.org/post/story-boston-marathon-bombing-told-skates
<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfP7ZN6ZYN4</p>Fri, 10 Jan 2014 22:09:00 +0000Tovia Smith6226 at http://wgcu.orgA Story Of The Boston Marathon Bombing, As Told On SkatesA Grieving Newtown Mother's Motto: 'Love Wins'http://wgcu.org/post/grieving-newtown-mothers-motto-love-wins
As much as Dec. 14 will forever be a day of unfathomable grief for Nelba Márquez-Greene, Dec. 13 will be one of unending gratitude.<p>"I will never forget that day," she says.<p>On that day, Márquez-Greene stopped the usual frantic drill: rushing to activities and errands, worrying about the dishes and laundry, even cleaning up the mess on the floor.<p>That morning, her 6-year-old daughter, Ana Grace, had knocked down the entire nativity set off the piano.Sat, 14 Dec 2013 10:11:00 +0000Tovia Smith5458 at http://wgcu.orgA Grieving Newtown Mother's Motto: 'Love Wins'Newtown Parents Seek A Clearer Window Into Violent Behaviorhttp://wgcu.org/post/newtown-parents-seek-clearer-window-violent-behavior
The shooting in Newtown, Conn., last December has left families of the 26 victims, most of them children, struggling to heal in different ways.<p>Jeremy Richman and Jennifer Hensel are one such family. They lost their only child, 6-year-old Avielle, in the shooting. In the year since, they've responded as any parents would: Asking why such a tragedy could have happened.<p>But they also responded as the two scientists they are: They immediately threw themselves into trying to answer the question.Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:22:00 +0000Tovia Smith5382 at http://wgcu.orgNewtown Parents Seek A Clearer Window Into Violent BehaviorVictims' Relatives To Face Whitey Bulger At Sentencing Hearinghttp://wgcu.org/post/relatives-face-whitey-bulger-sentencing-hearing
It's the moment many victims of former Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger have been waiting decades for: In federal court in Boston, relatives of those killed by Bulger will face the former gangster and describe their pain.<p>Bulger was convicted in August of taking part in 11 murders while running a massive criminal enterprise for decades.Wed, 13 Nov 2013 10:11:00 +0000Tovia Smith4479 at http://wgcu.orgVictims' Relatives To Face Whitey Bulger At Sentencing HearingPutting Good Deeds In Headlines May Not Be So Goodhttp://wgcu.org/post/putting-good-deeds-headlines-may-not-be-so-good
An online collection has raised more than $145,000 for a man who stumbled onto a pile of money and turned it over to police.<p>Glen James' story of a good deed is just one of many making headlines. It may not be exactly brand new, but public interest does seem to be piqued these days by ordinary folks making what are seen as extraordinary ethical decisions.<p>Some, however, question if airing this kind of "good" news is actually good.<p><strong>A Series Of Good Deeds</strong><p>James' story — he's the homeless man in Boston who turned in a backpack filled with $42,000 — went viral.Thu, 26 Sep 2013 21:59:00 +0000Tovia Smith2923 at http://wgcu.orgPutting Good Deeds In Headlines May Not Be So Good